Eagles Safety Awarded $43.5M in Damages for Medical Malpractice Claim

A Philadelphia jury yesterday awarded former Philadelphia Eagles team captain Christopher Maragos $43.5 million in damages in a case of medical malpractice over a knee injury that ended his National Football League career in 2019.

The civil case revolved around a meniscus tear that Maragos, who played safety and special teams, suffered in a game in 2017. The suit was brought against orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Bradley and the rehabilitation institute Rothman Orthopaedics.

The jury found that the medical team failed to treat and instead made a “medically negligent” decision to advance his rehabilitation, further damaging the knee, according to the player’s lawyers.

The injury was diagnosed as a torn right knee posterior cruciate ligament (PCL). Bradley performed a surgical repair of Maragos’ right knee and then directed the post-operative treatment with the support of Rothman Orthopaedics. In May 2018, an MRI revealed that Maragos’ injury had been getting worse and that he was suffering from a persistent partial tear.

The trial jury was told that Bradley and Rothman Orthopaedics should have held off on advancing Maragos’ activities in light of the results of this MRI. Instead, they released Maragos, allowing him to advance his rehabilitation to include running on dry land. According to the testimony, these activities, ordered by Bradley and administered by Rothman, resulted in the undue stress on Maragos’ knee, leading to further complications and ultimately the premature end of Maragos’ NFL career.

The defense lawyers for the medical team, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, argued Maragos suffered his meniscus injury months after his surgery. They also argued his age at the time, 31, and his eight years of playing football played a role in their decisions.

The lawyers who represented Maragos said the case could have implications for professional sports teams going forward.

“[T]his is only the beginning in our effort to demand further accountability for professional sports franchises and ethical treatment for athletes. This jury’s verdict serves as a reminder that any team’s doctor, in any sport, who jeopardizes the well-being of its players due to contractual obligations or financial incentives, will be held accountable for their misconduct,” Peter J. Flowers, partner at Chicago-based Meyers & Flowers, stated in a press release.

Dion G. Rassias, attorney at The Beasley Firm, based in Philadelphia, added that the this case may force “team doctors and trainers to stop worrying about when a player might return to play and start thinking about the next 50 years of a players life.”

John C. Conti, a lawyer for Bradley, told the Philadelphia Inquirer that the timing of the trial so close to the Eagles’ Super Bowl loss and the court appearances of former Eagles players as witnesses, had “enormous impact.”

Maragos started his career with the San Francisco 49ers, before winning the Super Bowl as a Seattle Seahawks player in 2014. He then signed a three-year contract to play for the Eagles in 2014.

“On Sunday, my team played the Super Bowl, and I could only watch and wonder whether I could have been out there with him had I received proper medical care,” Maragos was quoted as saying in the law firm’s press release. “While I live in constant pain and will never get back on the field, I hope this decision sends a message to teams’ medical staffs that players are people, not just contracts.”